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Priming sugar for hard lemonade

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:22 pm
by asnider
A question for those who have made hard lemonade in the past: what would you recommend for priming sugar amounts? I'm thinking of just using Coopers Carbonation Drops, but wonder if that might be too much. Should I use less sugar than I would for beer?

Also: does hard lemonade benefit from extended conditioning or is it pretty much ready to drink as soon as it's carbonated?

Re: Priming sugar for hard lemonade

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:23 pm
by swenocha
I've experimented with higher and lower carb. I think it's really just your preference. The carb drops should be fine.

I've pretty much found it ready to drink. Ciders benefit from further conditioning, but my experience shows lemonades don't really gain much. YMMV

Re: Priming sugar for hard lemonade

Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:02 am
by philm00x
When I bottle primed beer, I would typically use 1/2 tsp. For the Bubba's Hard Citrus Punch, I used half the amount, 1/4 tsp. It gave plenty of carb where it would be refreshing but not too strong where it could make it taste overly acidic. Can go about this with batch priming, by using half as much sugar solution as you would make for a beer.